What kind of law does Glaholt Bowles LLP practice?

Glaholt Bowles LLP practices construction law exclusively. It handles disputes over construction contracts, liens, delay claims and professional liability for owners, contractors, subcontractors and design professionals.

Can Glaholt Bowles help with a construction lien in Ontario?

Yes. The firm's lawyers regularly act for clients prosecuting or defending lien claims under Ontario's Construction Act.

Does Glaholt Bowles handle the newer statutory adjudication process?

Yes. Statutory adjudication of construction disputes took effect in Ontario on October 1, 2019, and the firm's team includes lawyers who have completed the Diploma in Adjudication in the Construction Industry offered by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Does Glaholt Bowles only work on Ontario projects?

No. The firm acts for clients throughout Canada and its lawyers have represented parties in international construction arbitrations in North America, Europe and Africa.

Where is Glaholt Bowles LLP located?

The firm's office is at 141 Adelaide Street West, Suite 800, in downtown Toronto.

Is the firm still connected to its founder, Duncan Glaholt?

Duncan Glaholt founded the firm and its history still credits that early leadership, though Duncan Glaholt now runs an independent alternative dispute resolution practice separate from Glaholt Bowles LLP.

Glaholt Bowles LLP | LawOnline Directory

About Glaholt Bowles LLP

Glaholt Bowles LLP is a Toronto law firm that practices construction law exclusively, working out of an office on Adelaide Street West. The firm acts for owners, contractors, subcontractors and design professionals across Canada and internationally, and its lawyers have represented parties in construction arbitrations in North America, Europe and Africa. The practice covers the full range of dispute resolution options for the industry, from traditional litigation to arbitration, mediation and the statutory adjudication process Ontario introduced for construction disputes on October 1, 2019.

The firm traces back to founder Duncan Glaholt. It operated as Glaholt LLP as recently as 2019, before adopting its current name, Glaholt Bowles LLP, which reflects partner Brendan Bowles. Duncan Glaholt now runs an independent alternative dispute resolution practice separate from the firm, but the firm still credits the founder's early direction as central to its history. Brendan Bowles is a Law Society of Ontario Certified Specialist in Construction Law, and firm members teach construction law courses at the University of Toronto and Queen's University.

Glaholt Bowles lawyers have also co-authored construction law references, including the Construction and Alternative Dispute Resolution titles of Halsbury's Laws of Canada and Construction, Builders' and Mechanics' Liens in Canada.

Practice areas

Construction Law

Civil Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Milestones & recognition

Duncan Glaholt, the firm's founder, received the Toronto Construction Association's Donald Griffin Jr. Award in 2018 and the Ontario Bar Association's Award of Excellence in Construction Law in 2014.
Brendan Bowles, a namesake partner, joined the firm in 1998 and now serves as Editor in Chief of the Construction Law Reports, a national case reporting service, after chairing the Ontario Bar Association's Construction and Infrastructure Law Section from 2015 to 2016.
The firm has been ranked in Chambers Canada and by Benchmark Litigation and Best Lawyers, and has received Lexpert recognition as a ranked firm in construction law.
Firm lawyers have co-authored the Construction and Alternative Dispute Resolution titles of Halsbury's Laws of Canada and Construction, Builders' and Mechanics' Liens in Canada.

In the community

A partner at the firm serves as a board director of Building Transformations, a Toronto based nonprofit focused on building technology and innovation in the construction industry (formerly known as CanBIM).
A partner mentors early career lawyers through the Ontario Bar Association's mentorship program and the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers.
The firm was a Platinum Sponsor of the 8th International Society of Construction Law Conference.

Good to know

Wheelchair accessible A calendar with a checkmark beside a clock

By appointment

Lawyers 22

Certified Specialists

A designation granted by the Law Society of Ontario, not a self-declared area of focus.

This firm’s lawyers at a glance

Called to the bar: 2005–2025 · median 6 years in practice 18 of 22 lawyers
Law schools: Osgoode Hall Law School (6), University of Ottawa (3), Queen's University (2), University of Toronto (2), University of Windsor (2), University of Calgary and 4 more 20 of 22 lawyers

Who handles what

The neighbourhood

Glaholt Bowles LLP's office is on Adelaide Street West in downtown Toronto. The firm doesn't build its practice around a single courthouse or a single city, though. Its construction litigation and arbitration work has taken it across Canada and into arbitrations in North America, Europe and Africa, so the Adelaide Street office works more as a base for a national and international practice than a neighbourhood storefront serving walk-in clients.

Legal support staff 1

Law clerks, paralegals and articling students at this firm. They are not licensed lawyers.

Markus Rotterdam Director of Research

Frequently asked questions

What kind of law does Glaholt Bowles LLP practice?: Glaholt Bowles LLP practices construction law exclusively. It handles disputes over construction contracts, liens, delay claims and professional liability for owners, contractors, subcontractors and design professionals.
Can Glaholt Bowles help with a construction lien in Ontario?: Yes. The firm's lawyers regularly act for clients prosecuting or defending lien claims under Ontario's Construction Act.
Does Glaholt Bowles handle the newer statutory adjudication process?: Yes. Statutory adjudication of construction disputes took effect in Ontario on October 1, 2019, and the firm's team includes lawyers who have completed the Diploma in Adjudication in the Construction Industry offered by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Does Glaholt Bowles only work on Ontario projects?: No. The firm acts for clients throughout Canada and its lawyers have represented parties in international construction arbitrations in North America, Europe and Africa.
Where is Glaholt Bowles LLP located?: The firm's office is at 141 Adelaide Street West, Suite 800, in downtown Toronto.
Is the firm still connected to its founder, Duncan Glaholt?: Duncan Glaholt founded the firm and its history still credits that early leadership, though Duncan Glaholt now runs an independent alternative dispute resolution practice separate from Glaholt Bowles LLP.

Where to find them

141 Adelaide St W, #800, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 3L5 · 416-368-8280

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Listing compiled from the firm’s public website in August 2026. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗